Portable computers have made great advances in recent years. Computer manufacturers have produced portable computers that are lightweight yet extremely powerful. Indeed, many portable computers are advertised as desktop replacements and include features that rival those of traditional desktop machines.
In addition to advances in portable computers, network/component providers have made great advances in network access. Where just a few years ago a computer modem was considered an optional accessory to a computer, that was purchased at an additional cost, today's computers come equipped not only with a computer modem, typically integrated with the system, but also equipped with a network interface. Additionally, many computers, especially portable computers, are equipped with both wired and wireless integrated network interfaces. Typically, the wireless network interfaces are designed to take advantage of the ubiquitous IEEE 802.11 wireless network protocols.
Through a wireless network interface, a portable computer can achieve a real measure of portability. For example, as a portable computer, equipped with a wireless network interface, is moved from one area to another the wireless network interface detects the broadcast signals of the various wireless networks, also referred to as cells or hot spots, and automatically communicates with the detected networks.
As this wireless networking trend has advanced, much attention has been placed on maintaining a static computer configuration as the portable computer is moved between the various networks. In other words, substantial effort has been expended in ensuring that as a portable computer moves from one network to another, the change in network connection is non-disruptive to the computer's configuration, and thus, transparent to the user. For example, to be transparent to a user, computer services and functionality available while connected to a first network must be maintained when subsequently connected to a second network.
In spite of the efforts to ensure that a computer's configuration maintains services between changes in networks, in some situations it is not always desirable to maintain a static computer configuration. Indeed, in some instances, it would be very useful to adapt the computer's configuration according to a detected network. For example, as computers, such as notebooks (also frequently referred to as laptops), tablet computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), become standard equipment for students, it is not always desirable to maintain static configurations. Particularly, a student may have various games, music, chat programs, and the like installed on a tablet computer that is also used in school. Clearly, a teacher would not want that student playing games or music, or communicating with another person via an Internet chat program on the computer while the student is supposed to be studying. Instead, a teacher may wish to establish a set of features that are available to students connected to a network while they are in class.
In light of the above scenario, what is needed is a system and method for automatically configuring a computer according to predetermined configuration information associated with a detected network. This, as well as other issues, is addressed in the present invention.